Newsome High School

When my daughter started school here principal Kevin Martin was in charge and he was just great. Amber Cronin leaves much to be desired. She seems to put emphasis on metrics that improve her image and not the school as a whole (attendance, testing, Bucs rallying) I love volunteering but have found her to be very disrespectful to parents and the PTA. Recent security threats at the school have me concerned as protocols are inconsistent and change daily. Principal offers no comfort or assurance to parents. Principal Martin always kept us updated and reassured. A major threat made with zero followup to parents. Students walked between classrooms under an active “lock in”. The lights for the alarms malfunctioning during active lock in without notice to parents about how this was going to be addressed. Im very worried that in a real emergency this current principal Cronin lacks the leadership skills to keep the school safe. My fingers are crossed she finds the promotion she is currently looking for and we get someone new. The school as a whole is not bad. Many experienced and caring teachers work here. Too bad several teachers left when Mr. Martin transferred. I don’t blame them considering his personality and professionalism was night and day compared to what we have now.

My experience is that I went because of the stars and comments that this school was excellent and that they really care that the students understand and rise to the next level.First the school has the Esol program but from time to time I asked for it for 1 year since the primary language is Spanish and the help came in January of the 4th grade.Second, my son was teased and the teachers didn't take it into account until he talked to the assistant principal. I believe that bullying is not taken into account.Third, they say that teachers are trained to help children whose language is Spanish. The 4th grade teacher did not help my son at all. They said that he had a condition of non-comprehension. They didn't help him at all, they only care about those who do speak English and get good grades on the state exams.Fourth, I must thank the administration secretary, who is very attentive to teacher Murray, who helped me in 3rd grade and who knew what the language problem was, and to the psychologist, her attention was excellent.My advice is that if your child speaks Spanish, scare your child where they have the Esol program every day so that they really learn and the same thing that happened to my son does not happen to them.I took him out this year because I think he didn't get help from the 4th grade teachers.

I have observed both positive and negative aspects of the school and understand why some parents give it a low rating. If they relocated from northern states, the schools in the south might not meet their expectations. However, if they explored other public schools in Florida, they might have a different perspective. My family moved from Connecticut, and after trying a highly-rated charter school in Florida, I feel that the current school is more caring than that charter school. Regarding the teachers, there have been occasions when my kids had issues with them. However, I addressed this by leaving notes in the binder and communicating with the teacher. At first, I thought I had offended the teacher and that there would be ongoing issues. To my surprise, my son ended up loving that teacher. I understand that there are many teachers with different backgrounds and experiences, and not all of them may be the right fit for everyone. However, I also believe that parental involvement can make a difference. We have been with the school for a year now, and I have a kindergarten and a 3rd grader attending. I do have some complaints, such as the cafeteria food being unappetizing. I initially tried packing homemade meals for my kids, but after realizing that they didn't eat much of it, I gave up and let them eat the school food. In my honest review, I would say they are okay if you compare them to public schools in Connecticut in neighborhoods with home values of over $600k. However, compared to surrounding towns, there may not be a better choice.

After reading the negative reviews, I feel they are left by people more upset about the structure of learning because of state requirements versus what Bevis has to offer while maintaining state expectations and requirements. Majority of teachers are organized, positive, and have great communication with parents. Parent engagement is high and the PTA enthusiastically supports the school and students. I have four children who have attended the school and one with an IEP. The support staff for kids with IEPs is significantly stronger than other public elementary schools and the principal has a very active presence amongst the students. After being with the school for over two years now, we are very happy.

We had a very poor experience with this preschool and feel compelled to share in hopes that other parents, especially those with children who have allergies or special needs, can make a more informed decision.Our son has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy, and we provided the school with a doctor-issued emergency protocol to ensure his safety. Despite our efforts, the school showed a troubling lack of coordination and understanding. There was ongoing confusion through multiple phone calls, Zoom meetings, and in-person conversations. It was clear that communication between staff members was disjointed.One of the most upsetting incidents occurred when our son told us he was made to sit alone behind the kitchen during snack time, and when he asked why, a teacher reportedly told him, "because we don't want you to get sick." We had clearly expressed that we did not want him isolated & singled out during meals. This action was both unnecessary and emotionally harmful for a 4-year-old child.When we brought this to the attention of the director, Ms. Pranita, she was completely unaware of the situation. She gave conflicting accounts - first claiming our son declined fruit, then backtracking and saying she wasn't present at the time and would speak to the teachers to clarify. We never received a follow-up, despite being promised one.To make matters worse, when we went to collect our son's belongings and medications, the director and owner walked them out silently without a word of acknowledgment or apology. We found this to be incredibly unprofessional and cold, given the circumstances.And lastly, despite all the above, we discovered that they were teaching our son to write his name incorrectly, because they had it misspelled on all materials.This experience was deeply disappointing.Our main priority has always been our child's safety and well-being, and we expected a basic level of competence and compassion from a preschool - especially when dealing with a serious medical condition. Unfortunately, we did not find that here.

FCA was a blessing to our family for 11 years for our children. We chose FCA for the smaller class sizes and christian setting. Our children grew right along with FCA. The teachers care about each of their students and pour into their students daily. They had the blessing of being challenged academically and spiritually in their years at Foundation Christian Academy. The school provides many athletic opportunities as well as fine arts opportunities. Both of our children discovered passions in art and theater that they likely would not have been able to have in large public schools. Both of our children graduated from FCA and they both were well prepared for college. We are grateful that we chose FCA and we are thankful for all of the teachers there that were a blessing to our children.